Thirteen high school students from the North Shore were named as National Merit Scholarship winners by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. last week.
The students were among 2,500 chosen nationally out of a pool of 15,000. The winners each received a $2,500 scholarship.
“The Finalists in each state [are] judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies,” a statement from the organization said. “The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.”
Great Neck had four scholarship winners. They included Courtney Hakimian and Megan L. Xu of Great Neck North High School and Kimberly Wah Lu of Great Neck South High School. Hakiman is considering a career in dentistry, Xu a career in environmental science, and Lu a career in medicine. There was also Bradford J. Lin of Kings Point, who attends the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey.
Rachel Chang and William Peng were the winners for Manhasset High School. Chang is considering a career in environmental engineering, and Peng a career in computer science.
New Hyde Park’s sole winner is Alessandro Colangelo, who attends Regis High School in the city and is considering a career in intellectual property law.
Three Port Washington residents received the scholarship: Julia Ruskin of Paul D. Schreiber High School, who is considering a career in computer science; Paige A. Silverstein, who attends Friends Academy in Locust Valley and is considering engineering; and Julia G. Caccavo, who attends Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset and is considering business.
Roslyn High School’s Ella Eisenberg received the scholarship and is considering a career in neuroscience.
“The Roslyn High School community is incredibly proud of Ellie’s National Merit Scholar designation,” said Principal Scott Andrews. “She is truly a wonderfully well-rounded young woman.”
Two Wheatley School students, Jeehyun Kim of Roslyn Heights and Saman Suleman, won the scholarship. Kim is considering veterinary medicine and Suleman’s probable field is medicine.
The students were chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who examined the students’ academic record, scores on two standardized test, contributions and leadership in school community activities, an essay written by the finalist, and a recommendation written by a high school faculty member.
The National Merit Scholarship Corp. is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1955. The scholarships it administers are funded by 410 independent corporations and college sponsors.
